Summer 2007 - Day 30

Day 30

Today we stayed in Trier until lunchtime and saw a couple more sights. The Roman Bridge in Trier is the oldest bridge in Germany. The stone pilings of the Roman Bridge date from A.D. 144-152.

On March 2, 1945, General Patton's tanks captured the bridge so quickly that it was not blown up - the (empty) charge chambers are still visible from the up-river side of the bridge.

Archbishop Henry I laid out the market in his cathedral city in 958. He erected the market cross as a visible sign of his rule, customs and tax sovereignty and also a safe market.

Having seen the sights of Trier we set off to see another castle - Burg Eltz.

The development of castles in the Middle Ages began in the 9th and 10th centuries. Up to that time manor houses were protected with earth walls and wooden palisades. However, from that time on reinforced stone walls were used for the greater security of what were now basic castles. The heyday of castle building stretched from the 11th to the 13th centuries, the main period of the imperial family of Hohenstaufen. It was also the time in which many towns were founded.

Burg Eltz is a castle set in the forest and has never been attached in over 700 years. The Eltz family were very diplomatic, had a few "clever" marriages and were always on the "right" side. When France was trashing German castles, one of the Eltz family members was a Marshall in the French Army.

This drinking vessel from Augsburg shows Diana, the goddess of the hunt, riding a stag. By means of a clockwork mechanism it moves round the table. The drinkers would remain in their place and the vessel would stop in front of them. It was used in the following way: whoever it stopped in front of would have to drink, the men would have to drink from the stag and the women from the dog, the two animals being joined by a very short chain.

"Gluttony conveyed by Drunkenness"

This drinking vessel was made in 1550 and shows a fat drunk in a wheelbarrow being pushed by Bacchus. The work was cast in silver and parcel gilt.

This dragon was designed to drain water from the roof tops.

We loved our tour of Burg Eltz and it was probably our favourite castle on the trip. Back in the car and off to Koblenz.